Beef Burgundy the Julia Child way. Browned beef, carrots and onions, with a bouquet of herbs in cheesecloth.
Pearl onions and mushrooms sauteed separately on the side. Heat veg in the dish before serving.

I prefer the finished result to the CI method, even with just one bottle of Charles Shaw from TJ. Richer flavor and deeper sauce with only a little more effort. Both recipes are leisurely cooking so might as well go whole hog.

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a book so well organized, it makes you wonder why not everyone writes them like this... A great read, unlike the encyclopedic French classics, with useful notation. Ingredients are detailed on the left with coherent instructions on the right. In depth variations,such as Carbonnades a la Flamande, follow the master recipe for beef stew. Plus the techniques and explanations to achieve results. Oh, and a sense of humor besides.

Guessing if my pan is hot enough to sear my expensive rib eye steak is now a problem of the past with Rouxbe's free video.

" I don't care if I pass your test.  I don't care if I follow your rules.  If you can cheat, so can I.  I won't let you beat me unfairly.  I'll beat you unfairly first." --Ender"

In the vein of the Fractal Cauliflower post, I present the Moebius Bagel.

Now you can butter your bread on both sides!

Usually, I would object to the whimsical big little capitalization of the name, but I'm a sucker for great packaging and wAtOSA fits the bill. Since the brand's inception, I've been waiting for distribution in the U.S. but to no avail. One of these days, by some means, I'm going to get my hands on this beauty crack.

On a tip, I've been using Lush Celestial Facial Moisturizer (everywhere) for the skin conditions that have been plaguing me for years.  The vanilla, almond oil, cocoa butter combo apparently makes me smell a bit like cookies, but the scent is rather gentle.  The cream goes on a little bit greasy but is light and absorbed within 5 minutes or so. I don't feel like I'm sticking to my sheets or encased in Crisco as I do when using Cereve or other heavy creams recommended by the derm. The effect seems to linger, more so than using something like Vaseline, which makes the dryness even worse once it smears off. So far, after about a month, I've had no adverse allergic reactions and my skin feels softer.   I still have still have some redness and hives, but the scaling and itchiness have really minimized, cutting down on doctor visits and chronic use of antihistamines and harmful steroid creams, pills, and shots.

I've avoided Lush for a long time, simply because the products seemed to have a Bath and Bodyworks type of artificial candy appeal.  And while some products are heavy on the bubblegum overload, the Dreamwash Shower Smoothie (calamine powder, aloe vera gel, rose and chamomile, tea tree and lavender), has a kind of herbal scent which I am used to from using Body Time* products, has a pleasing fluffy texture, and doesn't dry out my eczema prone skin.  The Dreamwash is so gentle I have no reservations about using it on my face (avoiding the eyes.  Feels good after being in the fridge).  I also bought the Aqua Marina Facial Cleanser, a solid product with some similarities to the Dreamwash, that I whim bought for the Nori roll packaging.  It was my bad for missing the added perfume on the ingredient list online, but fortunately I don't have any reaction to the Aqua Marina.  I just don't bond with the floral aroma.

Honestly, I don't see why I couldn't mix up my own batch of faux Lush at home after sourcing some ingredients online and throwing in some fruit, but the price ($20 for a 1.5 oz container of face moisturizer) for the convenience isn't that bad in comparison to "premium" or department store products, and is only a little above drugstore brands. Plus, they recycle their pots, have eco friendly values, and nix animal testing. The strength of their rabid (and rather younger), youTube competent fanbase is a little Koo Koo Cola, but I like their unguents so far, and the little sample of Honey I Washed the Kids Soap stands up to those pretty cakes I've seen at the health food store.  Thank goodness, because the moisturizer/dry skin dilemma was really driving me nuts. 

 *Body Time replaced the Paraben and preservatives in their products with natural ingredients some time ago.  Ironically, I could no longer use my favorite serum and had topical and asthmatic reactions to a product I  had been happy with for 10 years.  However, I would highly recommend their stuff for someone who isn't as sensitive as I am.  Two other skincare lines I wouldn't recommend to someone with my finicky skin (and I mean truly finicky) are Malin+Goetz and Paula's Choice.  Both moisturizers really irritated my existing skin conditions and caused a severe reaction of painful peeling, redness, and itchy puffy dermatitis on my face.   Really I'm using euphemisms to describe how uncomfortable and embarrassing it was.  When you have severe dermal and respiratory allergies people treat you like you have the plague. 

The Thick of It is getting mean recently.  Oh wait... meaner.  And why all the malign invective?

“Because I’m bored, it’s funny and I hate you. There you are, the Holy Trinity of Why.” --Ben Swain

This is a series that apparently couldn't be re-made in America a la British The Office because of scatling fire Malcolm Tucker, with his unimaginably un-PC bollocks mouth.




In the Loop, the film take, is none too clean either, and while the familiarly nimble tone gets squashed once the Americans political juggernaut begins, the dialectic works hard for the satire.  The showstopper standoff between a Washington anti-hawk, played by some-time mobster James Gandolfini (terribly clever casting), and the lithe "English" terror of doSAC is ALL amusement, the real star is the boundless inventiveness of the English language for engendering misunderstanding.  Oh.  And the sport swearing.

laundry paradox = you have no clean pants or underwear but you need to go down 5 floors to the coin laundry so you can do your wash.

also applies to:

A) breadmaking/cooking - when the next bowl you need is the one which contains the product you are making and the other ones all have food inside.

B) you have no money to buy gas because you left your wallet in your SO's bag, and the bag is now 30 miles away and you have no gas to get it.

C) the last bit in solitaire when the card you need is flipped so you can't complete your string.

solution:

a) buy more x, where x = underwear/pants, bowls, etc.

b) stop procrastinating now and not tomorrow

c) play solitaire with real cards so the cheat option is available

d) don't be such a dork

"Fish" no Kasuzuke is a traditional way to serve black cod or Gindara, which Nobu of Nobu fame has sort of turned into a high cuisine. The recipe is actually quite simple, though fresh sake kasu, or sake lees, can be hard to source. I buy mine at the local Japanese grocery in slurpy giant bags for cents on a pound. The below kasuzuke marinade works fine without the heat treatment, but the marinating time may need adjustment depending on your taste. 

6 oz fresh fish fillet of choice - For buttery kasuzuke, use butterfish/black cod/sable, mackerel, salmon, snapper or any tender, and fatty fish of choice... otoro! Some recipes actually include butter, but with a nice oily fish there really isn't the need.
1/2 cup sake kasu, stores for ages in the fridge.
2 tbsp brown or white sugar
3 tbsp shiro miso
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin - If you have the dry sake kasu, use the mirin to rehydrate.
1/4 cup water

Salt fish lightly, and rest for at least several hours or overnight in the fridge. Dry. Bring sugar, sake kasu, sake and mirin to a boil. Take off the heat and add miso, stirring in a little water as needed to make a thick, creamy paste. Let cool and coat fish with marinade, cover, and refrigerate 2-7 days - I like the minimum. While waiting for your fish to "cure", read some of this. Scrape off marinade. Gently bake fillet at relatively low heat for several minutes on each side, then turn on the broiler at the last minute to crisp the skin.

An alternate to the strong flavor of kasuzuke is misozuke, a similar pickling sauce omitting the sake kasu and thus having a less overwhelming flavor. Here's Nobu's recipe using a saikyo miso, essentially shiro or white miso with large proportion of white sugar added.

I have also seen sake kasu used to marinate fish roe, soup, various vegetables, or added to rice like a condiment. Some additions to the basic sauce include citrus peel or ginger depending on the main ingredient. Tsukemono includes wasabi to a mix of wood ear and cauliflower. Here are some other recipes in English even.

I've been doing pizza lately, trying recipes from the Silver Spoon, New Best Recipe, King Arthur, and Breadtopia (amongst others).  Some specify a short or long rise, with or without olive oil, yeast or sourdough starter, or both. I finally stumbled upon Jeff Varasano's Pizza recipe and I found it certainly the most thorough, easy to follow of the bunch because he offers up the mix by weight and has detailed instructions. 

Pancetta, sundried tomato, marinara and artichoke pizza with parm and *gasp* cheddar (leftovers needing to be used.  Of course the pie was greasy, but my primary goal was to test the dough.  Even under laden conditions, the bottom held up fairly well.) 

In previous recipes, I've been getting a dough that seemed way too dry and tough, requiring a lot of elbow grease and guesswork.  The pizza ended up dense with poorly developed flavor and baked like crackers. This time, I just lackadaisically stirred up the ingredients in a bowl (bread flour and salt, filtered water, then 50/50 mature sourdough starter that had been fed with both bread flour and a small amount of wheat flour).  The entire process took about one episode of The Guild with just a sturdy fork.  After letting the dough rest for 15 minutes, I kneaded by hand until the ball was smooth - should happen fast. I sectioned the dough into very, very lightly oiled containers, covered with plastic wrap, and left them in the fridge.  After two days, I took the dough out two hours before baking (for room temp and a little rising).  At this point, the dough made a windowpane easy.

 A video of the Squadra Nationale Acrobati Pizzaioli to watch during the wait:



Shape the dough on the counter right before you are ready to bake. If the dough gets too sticky or elastic, make a ball, knead it a little, and rest for awhile.  We've been making the pie a bit thin because the stretching is so much fun.  Tony Gemignani's online video shows some basic technique.
 
During building, speed is key! Shift the dough to a floured peel or pan and quickly build the pizza. At each stage of topping, shake the pie to make sure it's not getting sticky on the bottom. Shake it again before you low side that pizza into the oven! For inspiration, the below  "maestro pizzaiolo" (5 parts).



While I can't acheive a VPN pizza(1), I have to work with what I've got.  My thick Chicago Metallic cookie sheet seems to insulate too much, leaving the center gummy.  Instead, a long oven preheat, with thin pizza pan, baked on the second lowest rack at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, achieved an acceptable amount of browning on the bottom and several larger bubbles on the crust.  Once I start using my cast iron pizza pan (upside = no cracked stone, doubles as a grill/roasting pan or crepe griddle), I will experiment  with broiling.  The Mario Batali cast iron pan is currently on sale at Crate and Barrel but the Lodge or pizza screen can be had pretty cheap on the regular.

(1) According to Forno Bravo, a VPN pizza requires :
"1. A Wood-Burning Oven: Pizza Napoletana must be cooked in a wood-fired dome oven operating at roughly 800ºF.
2. Proper Ingredients: Tipo 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes, all natural Fior di Latte or Bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, salt and yeast -- only fresh, all-natural, non-processed ingredients.
3. Proper Technique: Your pizza dough must be kneaded either by hand, or with a low speed mixer. No mechanical dough shaping is allowed, such as a dough press or rolling pin, and proper pizza preparation. Pizza baking time should not exceed 90 seconds."

An ongoing discussion we have at our house, is the American vs Japanese attitude in regards to technology. The Japanese have a particulary voluble relationship to robots -  59 metre mecha angels of soulless kickass vs pneumatic strawberry packing robots for the tedious household chore of moving sushi from the to-go box onto the dinner plate.  Part of the love/hate, I'm sure, is that Japan is the foremost leader of robot technology in the world and hyping the industry is surely a civic duty, yet Japan also boasts an indivisible labor union that unites all workers against non-human job outsourcing.  On the other hand, America tends to vilify aliens over monsters, outerspace over inner ghosts, Mexicans over machines.  What that means, I have no idea.  But while the Japanese unkink cars that provide aerial views of rush hour traffic and mechanize kindergarten teacher efficiency factors, American hobbyists exercise their brain muscle masterminding mini mass destruction sumo warriors and nuclear waste cleanup modules.  Meanwhile, orders for robot arms are down in Detroit, and the housewife gizmo sector in Japan fares poorly.  All this! Tying vaguely into...

 "... Tuna was a subject where the national pride at the small country's technological strides was tempered with reactionary concerns about tradition and natural simplicity.  Nothing short of full human cloning could trigger as devastating a crisis of Japanese conscience about the value of science as the sight of a bluefin tuna artificially birthed in a lab." -- The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy (Sasha Issenberg)

I'm barely into 20% of the content according to ingame stats, but already Dragon Age feels epic.  The scope of this strategy rpg is massive, with a well devised story and game structure.  The two interact with each other quite well, interspersing game travel, combat, puzzles and cutscenes to move plot yet still allowing the freedom to travel willy nilly.  While the game uses a lot of rpg/tactical tropes familiar to Neverwinter, Baldur's Gate, Diablo etc, they've never been executed quite this cinematically or paced as well. At times the controls are finicky but certainly not worse than what came before and sometimes my load times suck.  As a whole however, Dragon Age is a really well crafted and worth the time finding all the Easter eggs. Here I am with my assembled crew. I'm so done with WoW collection quests. 


Machinarium is a great game to play for solving little puzzles and traversing a twee landsape of tinky tonk mechanical creatures. Sometimes the tasks get repetitive or drag a bit , but they are for the most part arranged very cleverly within the plotline. The music and atmosphere of this fairly modest game are the real treat, however.

Milkpail is something of a cheese mecca for me in the two states region (Northern and Southern Californias...)  They have walls of cold cases divided up by region and type, with an un-exaggeratedly vast, as well as deep, international selection of unusual and hard to find cheeses.  (Milkpail tops Whole Foods, Bi-rite, and dare I say it, the Cheeseboard Collective in Berkley in both variety and price, though the crowd in this tiny shop can be somewhat bumper to bumper.) You can find great wine, nuts, fruit, olives, salumi, pickles etc. to complete the ultimate cheese course.  Furthermore, the croissants in the freezer section are convenient confections, flaky, buttery and so light they're interstellar.

Clockwise from top left:  Jean Grogne, St. Agur, Boorenkaas Gouda, Mimolette demi Vieille

Fork and Bottle describes the Jean Grogne as, "Creamy and rich. Bloomy rind. Mushroomy but delicate  with a sight bitterness on the finish." A cow's milk triple crème by French cheesemaker and affineur, Robert Rouzaire.

The French St. Agur Blue is not as sharp or salty as an English blue and meets halfway with a washed rind's creamy soft texture. I like the funkiness, gentler blue kick, and lack of salt of this double creme from Monts du Velay cow's milk.

Our Boerenkaas Dutch Gouda is 3 year aged, cow's milk, farmer's cheese.  A hard hunk of lightly caramelized, grassy raw milk flavor with a complex yet mild taste.  From Slashfood: "The paste color is a deep yellowish-brown, and its aroma has notes of hazelnut and caramel with some meaty and cellar notes."

Mimolette demi Vieille just means Mimolette of 6 months age.  The orange comes from annato or achiote, which farmers of Lille, France add to cow's milk to make this goldeny cheese with a cantaloup exterior.  The hard texture and fruity-sweet, salty flavor isn't my favorite, but we got some so the SO could taste it because he found the color so mesmerizing. 

Kin Dza Dza takes a Russian bent on the dark comedic satire, making the most of post-war Soviet social oppression and dissent in a really surprising way, by turning it into great science fiction.  Released a year after Terry Gilliam's Brazil, which is gleefully grotesque and whimsical by turn, Kin Dza Dza maintains a bleak and creaky attitude, the stoic characters slowly unpacking a cultural farce that may not be as foreign as it seems, while journeying into a scoured landscape of industrial ghost towns.  The production is at times budget, yet the directing rationale is always endearing, and the mood recalls some of the resigned spareness and ingenuity  of the sci-fi russian greats if not the elegance. Directed by Georgi Daneliya and scored by Giya Kancheli.

See Kin Dza Dza for sure! Koo!

While not entirely essential, it is helpful to know the origins of this clip below, which comes from the film, Kotovsky (Котовский), made in 1942-1943 by Alexander Fainzimmer and scored by Sergei Prokofiev.  Kotovsky, the man 1881-1925, was a Russian revolutionary, a kind of militaristic Robin Hood who deserted the army, stole from the coffers of the Tsars and became a Bolshevik hero.  The song reminds me of something from my early piano books but I can't pin down the provenance.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was a folk classic, but that's all just conjecture.  Apparently, the early propaganda film, the song, and the Georgian title are familiar to a Russian audience, so the irony of Kin Dza Dza has made the film a beloved cult classic, and it's really easy to see why.

For some reason, I have a fondness for those shrink wrapped crumb cakes you sometimes find while in line at the gas station, the kind with super sweet topping that looks just like rabbit pellets.  Appetizing, I know....

I've plugged away, baking coffee cakes with various streusel, but I could never quite reproduce what I was searching for.  Then, the Cook's Illustrated folk struck again.  I was making the wrong thing all along.  Today, I followed the America's Test Kitchen dvd instructions and made a New York/German style kuchen, a real crumb-y cake.  The secret is to make a substantial "dough" topping, streusel-like but with a high flour content, and roll each crumb into individual balls.

I slipped half a thinly sliced apple at the 2/3 mark and baked the batter in a lightly oiled springform pan.  I had no trouble turning the cake out, although I am still second guessing my oven temps and the cake is slightly overbaked at the bottom.  I really need an oven thermometer! With a soft and fine moist cake and a crumb like the lunar terrain, I am finally a happy gal.  Best of all, the sugar doesn't overpower like a gas station dandy.

Cabbage, carrots and onions go in while the meat gets a rest.   From the leftover beef broth, I flip a hearty barley vegetable soup with fennel, greens, carrots and mushrooms.  Below is the second attempt with a longer 7 day corning and afternoon soak.



While it looks pretty good, the original 2.5 lb piece of point meat was from Schaub's and the quality of the dry aged beef really stood out in terms of texture and fork tenderness. Definitely spring for better meat.  Also, the larger hunk seemed to benefit from twice the simmering time (just make sure not to boil the roast to death in the process).  I found that 7 days of corning requires a much longer soak or else the meat is just overwhelmingly salt flavored rather than spiced.  I also like the meat cooked without much rinsing so that the excess spices give the soup a little love too.

Current rub recipe, adapted from the book:

1/4 cup fine grained kosher salt
1 tbsp black peppercorn, cracked
3/4 tsp coriander seed, whole

1/2 tsp brown mustard seed, whole 
3 bay leaves
3/4 tbsp thyme

1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp California chili, or paprika

** optional

1 clove
2 juniper berries
1/2 tsp pink curing salt, for that candy color

Posole is great comfort food for cooling nights and gets better with age.

However... Big Surprise... The Cook's Illustrated version is a dud for me, crowded with surfeit of pork, as well as burdened with one-note flavor from a soup lacking any chili piquancy or smokiness. I followed the recipe to a T but 6 cups of water really doesn't seem to be enough for the quantity of meat when oven braising (and gets even worse when the hominy goes in).  While the meat was tender and the texture of the soup robust due to the long braised pork butt bone, the whole dish was just off.   I didn't end up returning quite a lot of meat to the pot and we used the excess for a very fine meal of tacos the next day.  We added the zucchini to alleviate some of the portliness of this dish and believe me it was still a bear to return to.



I may very well try the below recipe from Epicurious the next time around, which includes more herbs, garlic and water, less meat, less cooking time for the canned hominy, plus two kinds (I've seen other recipes also include arbol, puya or jalapeno) of whole chillies (and more of them!) made into a paste and pan sauteed to bring out the aroma. The Epicurious recipe is more fussy, but I have reason to believe the results will be better.  Throw in a couple chicken wings to leaven the pork broth or add several pork neck bones for a thicker soup. I don't think the recipe needs the sweetness of the tomato paste or tomato puree etc., but perhaps someone else will like a fresh plum tomato tossed in for good measure. 


Tie together mint and cilantro with kitchen string. Bring pork and water to a boil in a large pot, skimming froth, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add tied herbs, 20 garlic cloves, quartered onion, oregano, peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons salt and gently simmer, uncovered, until pork is very tender, about 2 hours. 

Strain broth through a large sieve into a large heatproof bowl. Return broth to pot. Discard mint and cilantro. Transfer cooked onion and garlic to a blender with 1 1/2 cups broth and purée until smooth. Add purée to broth. 

Meanwhile, slit chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles in batches, opened flat, turning and pressing with tongs, until more pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer to a bowl and pour 2 1/2 cups boiling water over chiles. Soak, covered, until softened, about 30 minutes. Purée chiles with 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid, chopped onion, remaining 6 garlic cloves, clove, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in cleaned blender until a smooth paste forms, about 2 minutes. 


Heat oil in cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then add chile paste (it will spatter) and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. 

Discard bones and coarsely shred pork into broth. Add chile paste and hominy and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt. 

Accompaniments: diced avocado; crema; queso fresco; thinly sliced iceberg or romaine lettuce; chopped white onion; sliced radishes; fried tortilla strips or chips; lime wedges; dried oregano; dried hot red-pepper flakes

I made some adjustment to timing and temp for this recipe, but I still think it could use more lift.  Next time, I will be adding a tiny bit of yeast to the mix.

I dried some starter and crushed them into flakes to send down to LA for a friend.

More goods from Japan.  The most curious item being the white chocolate covered chips that taste like ruffles dipped in yogurt.

Plus, more rice cakes.

1/2 cup mild tasting oil
1/4 sesame paste
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 in fresh ginger, minced
6 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp red vinegar
4 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 lb buckwheat noodle
1 tsp hot chili oil or to taste
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 scallions sliced thin
1 japanese cucumber, julienne
1 medium carrot, julienne
roasted sesame seeds

Stir together all ingredients except scallions and sesame oil. Cook the noodles, then rinse with cold, practically icy, water. Toss quickly with sesame oil. Pour sauce over the cold noodles, toss again and garnish.

Cheaper and less saturated in cream and butter than its Northern cousin, Southern Indian Food builds on the simple flavors of the ingredients, often vegetables only, revving them up with a wallop of direct chili heat.  Crepes are griddled and stuffed with fenugreek potatoes.  Chickpea dough is deep fried into soft pillowy doughnuts.  Onion and tomato pancakes are perfectly crisped and studded with fresh chilies.  On the side, sambar and various coconut sauces or relish come in a painter's palette of colors.  Unlike many dishes found in Northern Indian restaurants, the lentils and "curries" have a milder touch of spices.  Chutney lacks the sometimes overly saccharine and singlemindedly vinegar tang, but more than makes up for it with clear tomato punch.  Stews tend towards a more soupy texture rather than thick gravy.

Granted, the comparison between the two regions is a bit specious.  The rare Northern Indian restaurant accentuates the fresh flavor of a single ingredient while orchestrating a blend of spices and never makes the dishes chaotic or dumb them down, but the other 99% of the typical Northern Indian restaurants just have really heavy hands in all the pots. In my mind, Northern Indian food, depends on the complexities between flavors, richness, texture and ingredients, requiring a refined sense of balance from the kitchen.  Southern Indian cuisine is akin to the greatest of breakfast and snack foods - eat with your finger meals that are hearty, warming, rustic and deceptively easy.  Of course, none of this takes into account regional distinctions...

Tonight I went to Saravana Bhavan in Sunnyvale and had a cheese masala dosa with sambar and three sauces. We also had idly, those donuts, and a lacy wheat crepe. The various breads that come out of the kitchen are showstoppers. Look for the giant poof the size of a serving tray. The mango lassi is top notch - just thick enough, with a slight tang, and without that funky floral aroma or strange carbonation. Is it impolite to show leftovers on a blog?

Annapoorna in San Mateo offers a thali dinner if you want to try a variety of "stews" at once. This joint is much smaller than Saravana Bhavan and easier to get into, but the food just isn't as vibrant as the former.

Both are vegetarian only.

"Freakism! Freakism!"  - Dr. Robert Verne

At today's Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, I scored a free ticket to the San Jose Museum of Textiles for stopping by their table. I also received a free fat quarter from Fat Quarter Queen because I didn't have any cash on hand and my piddly purchase didn't justify the fee for swiping my credit card. That was a little embarrassing but I was surprised they didn't just tell they have a minimum.

I spoke to the gals from Peninsula Quilters about getting started with quilting and also chatted with the ladies from Penwag about getting a student registration discount so I can attend some workshops.

The quilts were absolutely amazing and inspiring, but I forgot my camera!

Instead, I now present my new Olfa rotary cutter guide arm, measuring seam allowances and cutting at the same time. The price was about 6 bucks, much less than what I could find online with shipping.

At the suggestion of an avid quilter, I checked out Jeans Impressions, the booth of Jean Brown, a nice lady who demonstrated the Aunt Becky finger shield and sized me for a Needlearts thimble. I overheard other shoppers say they didn't like the metal to metal method, but since I'm just starting out anyway I figured there's no harm in trying. I just have to make something to quilt first!












Since I have major fabric and button anxiety, all I've really been doing lately is collecting instead of making. These fabrics and notions struck my fancy so I brought them home.

Clockwise from back:

Daiwabo Japanese grey cotton with a linen texture and nubby rayon stripe. Bought at the Praire Queens Quilt Shop.

Two silver and gunmetal wire buttons from Fabric Chicks, who always set up a beautiful booth. They also carry unusual, intricate trims, doll making/painting, and wonderful fabric. I bought my brown-gold ribbon and the Australian print cottons from them at the San Mateo shindig recently.

Australian print cotton. So soft, with a great pattern. J R Flamingo also sells absolutely stunning silks and brocades that I have seen no where else, but at relatively painless prices.

Brown owls on black Japanese cotton as a tribute to the owl making spree. Also from J R Flamingo.

Two skeins of trim are viscose/rayon cording used for couching and braiding. The other two are bundles of various furs, strings, and embroidered ruffle. Fiber Goddess

Woodland cotton prints. Twigs and tree bark. Homespun Harbor Ltd.

Vintage lace wrapped on a card.

Various fat quarters. Pink and purple dots on brown. Two beautifully detailed mum prints. Webs on celadon. Kaffe Fasset spots. Cotton. Golden Gate Sewing Center

Looped pink elastic from Plumcute Designs.

My funny owls are filled with wool scraps and heavy metal washers. I use them for sewing weights. The bottoms still need bits of felt but I like their individual character.

Instructions here.

Note to self: When using silk for crafty projects, interface first!

Unhappy with the results of my first sourdough bread, I left the loosely covered container on the counter for 12 hours and fed the starter twice in that time. The resulting proof was higher than the first dough. I made this starter just a tiny tad less watery.










I turned the temp to 425 degrees instead of 450 degrees, put the dutch oven in about 30 min into the preheating time instead of 1 hour, and when the dough went in, I slid an upside down cookie sheet onto the lowest rack. At 25 minutes the bread was pale and just beginning to crisp on the top crust points. I took the lid off, baked it for 5 minutes then inverted the loaf to the rack and baked it upside down for another 5.

I don't believe the finished product was any worse for wear at having to stand on it's head. The comparison shows the difference! The bread was evenly brown all over with a much higher rise and nicer fluffier crumb than before - moist but not gummy - with a great crispy crust. I'm a lot happier with the results but I'm still going play around with the settings some more.

After a long rise, the sourdough is wet and bubbly.










Sourdough patted out into a rough rectangle on a floured counter. After some time in a hot oven the bread develops a crust on the top and "sings" while it cools. This bread came out too wet in the middle , a little flat, and nicely burned on the bottom. I couldn't invert the bread onto the cooling rack, though it finally popped off midway through the cooling process. I think my oven is off and I'm going to make adjustments and try again.










While waiting for the bread to bake and cook, we made Dynamite Sushi Rolls and Scallops with Uni Sauce from Hiroko Shimbo's book. These inside-out rolls get a smear of Kewpie tobiko sauce and are then broiled.